


Love can bind a heart tighter than any rope

by Kory (melusinezar)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M, Tal-Vashoth Culture and Customs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:35:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16226855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melusinezar/pseuds/Kory
Summary: Things are good between Dorian and the Inquisitor Zayn Adaar. So good that the Tevinter wants to prepare a little spicy surprise for his Amatus. Unfortunately, turns out going to Iron Bull for that was not the best idea he had. Zayn's reaction isn't what he expected and now the tension between the Vashoth and the Qunari turns explosive.





	Love can bind a heart tighter than any rope

The sun's light struggles to warm his skin, losing the duel with the cold thin air of the mountain. The rays yet still almost blind him as he watches the star descend in gold and red behind the snow covered peaks. Under him, Skyhold prepares for the night.

Zayn climbed on top of the roof to admire the view. To think. He used to content himself with his balconies until Iron Bull sneaked into his room. He grits his teeth, tightening his grasp on the blanket he wrapped around himself. Shivers quake under his skin.

He did his best to be agreeable to the Qunari, putting on as much as politeness he could get through his teeth to not weaken the inquisition further. And what did he get ? An intrusion in his room, advances he feels his skin crawl just to think back about, and the desire to be as far away from any brainwashed asshole as possible growing so strongly inside him he's still unsure what kept him from packing and leaving right away.

No, actually, he knows. It's because all this happened through Dorian.

He had been charmed quickly by the Tevinter mage, his humor, his intelligence and curiosity envelopped by his suave gentleness. 

He wasn't entirely sure until Dorian came into his room, offering him a night of ravishing pleasure, yet accepted that Zayn wanted to slow down. It's when Dorian kissed him that night that the Vashoff knew he was in love.

Their relationship deepened from there, bringing solace and happiness in what was a constant grim and tensed life for Zayn. 

Becoming the Inquisitor was one thing. Leading such a loaded organisation, trying to find Corypheus, playing politics... It was a heavy burden that he was glad he could partially unload on Cullen, Leliana and Josephine. It was hard and far from pleasant, but there was also something in him that was pushing him to do it anyway. People being alive was quite the reward.

Being a Vashoth was a whole other thing. He was used to people being wary when they first met him, but he was also used to slowly gaining their trust by being himself. At least the ones who weren't chastisizing him for being a mage on top of it.

When Krem came to Haven to present Bull's offer, Zayn had been quite excited to meet and recruit another Vashoff. His delusions were quickly shattered and he had wondered all the travel back from the Coast to Haven, why the hell he accepted a Ben-Hasrath in his troupe.

Leliana was happy though and he did his best to deal with Bull's presence in the Inquisition, which consisted in mostly avoiding the Charger's leader. Avoiding his crude talks about Qunari's ways, like he's trying to justify his dislike and insults toward Tal-Vashoffs.

As if Zayn didn't know any of this.

Because the truth is, Zayn remembers.

He remembers his first years growing up, being raised by the tamassrans. His mothers. His mother. He remembers as she secretly came every night to tuck him in with his sister Oya.

He remembers hiding his tears, his fears. The loneliness. His mind being stiffled day after day when all it wanted was to roam free.

The first sparkles of electricity shining in Oya's eyes. The flickering flames crackling from his fingers.

The look on their mother's face. How she grabbed them in the middle of the night and sneaked them out of town.

The long stressful run. Until they found the clan. 

He had avoided Iron Bull yes, and it was so much easier to not hear people calling him a Qunari when he was with Dorian. It helped that sometimes, they would whisper more about him being around a Tevinter mage than the physical similarities he had with Bull.

That was until he came into his room tonight.

Dorian had left him a sort of treasure hunt from his library, and it had been fun. Unfortunately, the hunt ended with him finding his lover very much naked, but also very much tied on his bed.

« What the hell ? » was all he could say, unable to move.

« I won't doubt your deduction skills again, Inquisitor. » Dorian replied with a smile and a sultry tone, « And I'm glad I don't have to, I was getting a bit cold. Will you come warm me up ? » He writhed on the bed, honey lacing his voice and excitment sparkling under his skin.

No response. He looked better at his lover's face, but instead of finding a voraciously sexy smile, all he saw was a frozen expression. 

« My, my. I didn't expect it would keep you so far away. » he chuckled. That seemed to snap the Inquisitor out of his trance and he walked briskly toward the bed. Dorian smiled, cozying up against the pillows, looking at his lover expectantly. 

Instead of kissing him, or teasing him more, like he was hoping, Zayn immediately started to untie him.

« What the hell, Dorian ? » he whispered shakily to the Tevinter's surprise. « How did you even manage to do that ? »

That really wasn't what Dorian had planned. Zayn quickly freed his hands then moved to untie his ankles.

« I wanted to surprise you. Bring a little spice. I thought you'd like it. » he said, starting to feel embarrassed now. Not that he had been dissatisfied with what they had done, Zayn's intense gentleness being actually quite delightfully overwhelming. But lately the Inquisitor had been extremely busy and he only wanted to offer him a bit of respite.

Zayn looked at him as if a second head grew out of his neck. « Why would you even think that I would like something like this ? »

« Well, Iron Bull said... »

« You went to Iron Bull ??? » Zayn cut him, disbelief and pain in his voice.

« I know he's not your favorite person in the world but he was very helpful about what Qunari tend to like... » Dorian continued. He knew the inquisitor wasn't very fond of the other Qunari, but he started to think he was a tad overreacting. « I didn't sleep with him if that's what you fear. We only talked. » he added when Zayn frowned.

That didn't seem to alleviate his anger. 

« And at what point were you planning to actually ask me what I like ? »

« I wanted to surprise you ! » Dorian yelped defensively.

« Oh so you think going to ask a... Qunari » Zayn continued, spatting the last word, « would give you any indication of what I might like ? »

If he wasn't naked and feeling a bit humiliated by the circumstances, Dorian maybe wouldn't have walked on that mine.

« Well, you're both qun... I mean Tal-Vashoth, so I assumed... » he was cut as Zayn stood up abruptly from the bed and stomped toward the hearth. 

« Get out. » he said lowly, facing away from him.

« Amatus... » Dorian called out softly.

« Out ! » Zayn yelled back, abruptly clutching his left hand.

There was a tensed pause. Dorian huffed, face red with embarrassment and his own anger and feelings of betrayal rising in his chest. He got down the bed, grabbed his clothes and started to dress.

« Well, I guess that was fun while it lasted. I'll be out of your hair now, Inquisitor. » It was petty, ô so petty, but he was only trying to please him and that's what he got as a reward ? How stupid of him to have tried to trade in different waters and put his heart on the line. Stomping his way down and slamming the door behind him, Dorian tried to bury his pain under rightuous annoyance.

In the room, Zayn kept looking at the fire for a long minute. He looked at the now deserted bed and felt bile rise up along his throat. He made a wide circle around it, going into the dresser to take out a blanket. He couldn't stay in this room right now, and he had no desire to cross path with anyone in his state. So he climbed up to the roof of Skyhold, wrapping himseld in the blanket, and counted the stars until he fell asleep in the cold air.


End file.
